Shanghaiist: Opinionist: Xinhua on Cuba and freedom from want

Feds

Sun, 04 May 2008 16:23:08 +0800

Gorbachev is routinely criticized here. Glasnost - it is claimed - was his biggest mistake, and only led the Soviet Union to lose its peripheral states (Eastern Europe), the breakup of the Union, and then to years of chaos, the looting of the State-owned companies, etc. Hmm, do the Party leaders fear a similar fate for China if 'openness' is encouraged? Sadly, I think some of them do.

McLustin

Sun, 04 May 2008 11:12:43 +0800

This is a bit off-topic from the article, but "freedom from want" is such a misnomer. Freedom cannot involve an imposition on an outside (third) party; at that point it becomes coercion and not freedom. One can argue that it's a good thing, or necessary, or whatever, but don't tell me it's freedom. Far from it. It's control. It might be control that you like, but it's still control.

nanheyangrouchuan

Sun, 04 May 2008 01:00:29 +0800

So no word from Xinhua about Raul Castro suspending the death penalty, eh? I guess Xinhua doesn't consider that a sign of "development". At least not with Chinese characteristics.

Alec

Sat, 03 May 2008 22:38:08 +0800

Freedom of expression, speech and religion go hand in hand with the freedom to choose and criticize the government. The leaders here know this, know that any concessions will mean a loosening of their grip and start the dominoes that will eventually tip them from absolute power. But these freedoms (to think, to question) are essential to the creation of a modern, knowledge based economy. It is the ultimate conundrum, and the CCP is boxed into a corner - they must encourage free thought to compete with the West outside of low end manufacturing, but free thought is their death knell. How this situation resolves will be fascinating, hopefully not bloody. Good piece, Peijin.